Wooden figure of
Kichijōten

From JapanHeian period,
11th century AD

'The Female Deity of
Fortune'

Kichijōten is one of the female deities derived
from Laksmi, the wife of Vishnu, worshipped as the goddess of
fortune in the Hindu pantheon. She is associated with harvest,
fertility and fortune. In Japan she is often shown as a wife or
sister of Bishamonten (guardian of the North direction), and is one
of the seven Lucky Gods especially associated with New Year. She is
usually shown as a tall and graceful woman, as here, dressed in the
robes of a lady of the Chinese Tang dynasty (618-906). The features
also show similarities to sculptures of the Tang
dynasty.

Kichijoten makes
the gesture of
segan'in,
signifying the granting of desires, with one hand, while in the
other she holds the
hōjū, 'the
Treasure Gem', representing overcoming calamities and the
prize of Buddhist
wisdom.

The statue is
carved from a single block of wood in ichiboku
zukuri style, and any original pigment has
completely vanished.